On one occasion while speaking to the students at my old law school, I stressed that while the ultimate goal was to pass the exams and become attorneys, it was equally important for.....
THE JOY IN THE JOURNEY
DON’T IGNORE THE SMALL WINS
...most people are very hard on themselves. If you ask a random person, chances are they will tell you they are not happy where they are or feel they should be further. One might give a slightly more more optimistic response in saying that they are not where they want to be - as yet....
HOW ABOUT MAKING ‘NEW LIFE’ RESOLUTIONS INSTEAD
We’re still at the beginning of 2022, which also means we're still in the ‘New Year, New Me' (rolls eyes) part of the year. This also means the prevalence of resolutions which get a bad rap largely because we’re generally quite horrible at actually keeping them....
DON’T BE AFRAID TO BE SEEN TRYING
Many persons I know, myself included, have, at some point, had goals and aspirations, but were shy to go after them - and afraid to be seen going after them. The ‘why’ is obvious. Failure when it’s happening doesn’t feel good and people generally aren’t kind in those situations. Even in succeeding, people can still be unkind. But in focusing on these people, you run the risk of not getting what you truly want.
LET’S TALK ABOUT GENERATIONAL POVERTY – HOW YOU LEARNED TO BE POOR
In the wake of the recent pandemic, much has been said about the need for greater financial literacy and the idea of creating generational wealth. This piece will examine the reverse - generational poverty (poverty for at least 2 generations). In The Bahamas, this would be considered a ‘generational curse’ and we’d say that ‘the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.’ The truth is that poverty, just like genetics, is passed down from parents to their children (and culturally); but unlike genetics, poverty is learned.
DESPISE THE FREE LUNCH – KNOWING WHEN SOMETHING IS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
This law, among other things, discourages persons from carelessly accepting unrealistic promises or things of value at seemingly no cost. While the offer/gift may be appealing in the moment, the recipient will likely pay in the future. Also, it is important to recognize that the free lunch can present itself in many different ways. While this is a financial literacy post, it doubles as a post about life as well in discussing the true cost of the free lunch.
TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE – STAR TREK’S LESSON ON LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE
The show, ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’, has always been a favourite of mine. There have been many debates on which episode is the best, if asked, my pick is the episode named ‘Tapestry’ (episode 15 of Season 6). While this series was always engaging, this particular episode offered several lessons about how we are to get the most out of life and how we are to boldly...be bold!
FINANCIAL LITERACY AND THE TRUE COST OF CHEAP – ‘LO BARATO SALE CARO’
...the bigger lesson is one of ‘Lo barato sale caro’ - A Spanish phrase which means things that come too cheaply or easily will eventually become expensive. A corresponding phrase in English would be ‘if something is too good to be true, it probably is.’...
FINANCIAL LITERACY AND REAL LIFE – HOW BUYING PEANUTS TAUGHT ME ABOUT INFLATION
We hear a lot of about inflation and how it gradually lowers the purchasing power of our present-day dollars. There was an occurrence a few weeks ago that illustrated this principle to me quite clearly.
NOBODY IS COMING – A LESSON FROM MELLODY HOBSON ON TAKING FULL OWNERSHIP OF YOUR LIFE
This statement, first said by Collins in 1994, was initially an encouragement to women to reject the patriarchal idea that men were the key to their financial stability and success. More recently, Hobson, having had this statement as a personal mantra, uses it as a call to action to all persons to take full responsibility for their lives and decisions and in particular, their financial health.
WILFRED BAIN 